Swift



W. J. CHAPMAN SWIFT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 9, 1947 INVENTOR.WILLIAM J. CHAPMAN ATTORNEY.

Ma 29, 1951 w, J, CHAPMAQ 2,554,897

SWIFT Filed Dec. 9, 1947 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. WILLIAM J.CHAPMAN:9 BY

TQ MM:& "3* 45" 4o" ATTORNEY.

Patented May 29, T951 1 SWIFT William J. Chapman, Philadelphia, Pa.,assignor to A. B. Landis Sons, Inc., a corporation of PennsylvaniaApplication December 9, 1947, Serial No. 790,673

This invention relates to. swifts or skein holders. i

.rIn. the handling of skeins, and particularly in preparing skeins fordyeing, ..aiti;has heretofore been customary to mount theiskein on arotatable reel with a block on an auxiliary roller inserted at the lowerpart of thefskein. The yarn is then drawn from the skein. as desired.The reels employed are noisy, are burdensome for the operator,frequently permit; of catching or snagging of the. yarn, require.lubrication of a character such that oil may spot-the yarn carriedthereon, and have other disadyantages.

It is the principal object of sthe'i'present invention to provide aswift or skeiri; holder which eliminates the objectionable features ofthe devices for the same purpose heretofore available.

It is a further object of the-present invention to provide a swift orskein holder inwhich the component parts are light in weight, easy ofadjustment, and which may be readily accommodated to the lengths ofskeins now in use.

It'is a further object of the-present invention to provide a swift orskein holder in which the drag on the yarn is reduced, therebypermitting starting at greater speeds with'reduced breakage, and withreduced power costs and maintenance.

It is a further object of the fpresent invention to provide a swift orskein holder in which the moving parts may be readily stopped by theoperator even when travelling at very highest speed without any dangeror likelihood of injury to the operator.

It is a further object of thefpresent invention to provide a swift orskein holder with which the skein is opened for withdrawalof the yarn inany improved manner.

Other objects and advantageous features of the invention will beapparent from th'e specification and claims.

The nature and characteristic{features of the invention will be morereadilynnderstood from the following description, takenin connectionwith the accompanying drawingsi forming part hereof, in which:

Figure l is a view, in side elevation, of a swift or skein holder inaccordance-"with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a front view thereof; I

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view, enlarged, taken approximately onthe line- 3 3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectionalview, enlarged, taken approximately onthe line 4-4 of Fig. 1; and

11 Claims. (Cl. 242-127) Fig. 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectionalview, enlarged, takenapproximately on the line 55 of Fig. 1.

. Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views.

It should, of course, be understood thatthe description and drawingsherein are illustrative merely, and that various modifications andchanges may be made in the structure disclosed without departing fromthe spirit of the invention.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the swift or skeinholder, in accordancewith the present invention, preferably includes asupporting frame l0, having a base H adapted to be secured to the flooror any other desired support. The base H has a vertical upright I2secured thereto. The upright l2 may be of. any desired shape, but ispreferably C-shaped in horizontal cross section and includes a Webportion I3 having an upper vertically extendingislot l4 and a lowervertically extending slot l5 therein. t

Upper and lower heads I6 and H are provided, carried by the upright I2,as hereinafter explained.

The upper head I6 preferably includes a pair of spaced vertical sideplates I8 and I9,-connected by a central bar 20 to which the side platesl8 and I9 are secured. The side plate I8 has a spacer block 21 securedthereto in alinement with the bar 20 for engagement with the outer faceof the web I3. An adjusting stud 22 is provided, having an externallythreaded end portion. 23 for engagement in complemental threads in theblock 2I and having a shoulder 24 for engagement with the inner face ofthe Web l3. The stud 22 has a handle portion 25 for manually clampingthe upper head l6 at the elevation'desired by the operator.

On opposite sides of the central bar 20, and extending between the sideplates I8 and I9, 9. pair of freely rotatable rollers 26 are providedwith their longitudinal axes spaced and parallel and preferably in thesame horizontal plane, and supported as hereinafter explained.

The lower head I'I preferably includes a pair of spaced vertical sideplates H8 and H9, connected by a central bar I20 to which the sidelongitudinal axes spaced and parallel and preferably in the samehorizontal plane, and supported as hereinafter explained.

The lower head I! preferably includes a slide block 38 secured to theside plate I I8 and movable in the slot l5, guide brackets 3| and 32being provided for engagement with a. vertical guide rod 33 secured tothe upright 12 by brackets 34 at its upper and lower ends. The lowerhead I! is freely movable vertically and a spring 35 is provided on thelower part of the guide rod 33 and supported by the lower bracket 34 forengagement by the lower bracket 32 for absorbing any shocks, if thelower head I! is permitted to move downwardly without any restraint.

The mounting of rollers 26 is shown in detail in Fig. 5, the side plateH9 being selected as illustrative of the other side plates.

Extending between each of the side ,plates 18 and I9 and H8 and H9, foreach roller 26, a rod 36 is provided, having'a portion 3'! of reduceddiameter at each end, with which the inner race 38 of ball bearing 39 isin engagement, and terminal end portions 46 of reduced diameter fortight engagement in the side plates. 'The outer races 4| of ballbearings 39 each has a collar 52 secured thereto. The collars 42 eachhave an inwardly extending flange 43 and an outwardly extending flange Mwhich is disposed within recesses 45 in the side plates.

The collars 42 have extending therebetw een and in engagement therewithlengths of tubing 26a movable therewith to provide the roller 2t Theouter surface of the roller 26 is preferably polished to eliminateadherence of the yarn thereto. The side plates l8 and ['9 of the upperhead it and the side plates H8 and H9 of the lower head prevent sidewisedisplacement of the skein.

The upper head It and the lower head I"! are preferably made as light inweight as possible, consistent with adequate strength, and for thispurpose the parts thereof, with the exception of the bearings 39 and theraces 38 and 4|, are preferably made of aluminum. This not'onlyfacilitates adjustment and handling-of the heads [6 and I! by theoperator but also reduces the inertia or flywheel effect of the rollers26 so that they may be readily rotated upon starting up and may bereadily stopped by the frictional engagement of the hand of theoperator.

The mode of use will, it is thought, be clear from the foregoing, but itmay be noted that the upper head 16 may be adjusted at the desiredelevation in accordance with the desire of the operator. A skein is thenhung over the rollers 26 of the upper head It. The lower 'head I! isthen moved upwardly and the skein positioned so that the roller 26thereof are in engagement therewith, the lower head I! being supportedby the skein and the skein being in opened condition. The yarn mayreadily be withdrawn from the skein which rotates on the rollers 26 ofthe upper and lower heads Hi and IT. The skeinis thus maintained in anopen condition during the withdrawal of the yarn. When all the yarn ofthe skein has been removed, the lower head'l'l will tend to fall by itsown weight, the shock thereof being taken up by the spring 35. Anotherskein may then be mounted as before.

I claim:

1. In a skein holder, a frame having anupright, vertically spaced upperand lower heads extending outwardly from saidupright', 'one'of saidheads being adjustably mounted on said upright and the other head beingslidably mounted with respect thereto, each of said heads hav ing fixedinner and outer mounting plates, and each of said heads having aplurality of spaced elongated tubular rollers rotatably mounted thereonbetween said plates for the reception of a skein.

2. In a skein holder, a frame, spaced heads extending outwardly fromsaid frame, one of said heads being adjustably mounted on said frame andthe other head being slidably mounted with respect thereto, each of saidheads having fixed inner and outer mounting plates and each of saidheads having a plurality of spaced elongated tubular rollers rotatablymounted thereon between said plates for the reception of a skein.

3. In a skein holder, a frame having an upright, vertically spaced upperand lower heads on said. upright, one of said heads being adjustablymounted on said upright and the other head being slidably mounted withrespect thereto, each of said heads having fixed inner and outermounting plates, and each of said heads having a plurality ofhorizontally spaced rollers rotatably mounted-thereonbetween saidplatesfor the reception of a skein.

4. In a skein holder, aframe, spaced heads ex-- tending outwardly fromsaid frame, one of said heads being adjustably mounted on said frame andthe other of said heads being slidably mounted with respect thereto,each of said heads having fixed inner and outer mounting plates, andeach of said heads having spaced parallel rollers rotatably mountedthereon between said plates for the reception of askein.

5. In a skein holder, a frame having an upright, vertically spaced upperand lower heads extending outwardly from saidupright, the lower headbeing slidably mounted with respect tosa'id upright, each of said headshaving fixed inner and outer mounting plates, and at least one of saidheads having a pair of spaced parallel rollers rotatably mounted thereonbetween said plates for the reception of a skein.

6. In a skein holder, a frame having an upright, vertically spaced upperand lower heads extending outwardly from said upright, the lower headbeing slidably mounted with respect to said upright, each of said headshaving fixed inner and outer mounting plates, at least one of said headshaving a pair of horizontally spaced parallel rollers rotatably mountedthereon between said plates for the reception of a skein, and aresilient shock absorbing member carried by the frame for engagement bysaid lower head upon downward movement thereof.

'7. In a skein holder, a frame having an upright, vertically spacedupper and lower heads extending outwardly from said upright, the upperhead being adjustably mounted on said upright and'the lower head beingslidably mounted with respect thereto, each of said heads havingfixedinner and outer mounting plates, each of said heads having a pair ofhorizontally'spaced rollers rotatably mounted thereon between saidplates for the reception of a skein, and a resilient shock absorbingmember carried by the frame for en gagement by said lower head upondownward movement thereof.

8. In a skein holder, a frame, a pair of spaced heads, mounting membersfor mounting one of said heads on said frame, slidable mounting membersfor mounting the other of said heads on said frame, each of said headshaving fixed inner and outer mounting plates, at least one of said headshaving a pair of laterally spaced parallel freely rotatable skeinengaging rollers and the other of said heads having at least one skeinengaging roller, said rollers being interposed between said plates.

9. In a skein holder, a frame having an upright, a pair of spaced heads,mounting members for mounting one of said heads on said upright,slidable mounting members for mounting the other of said heads on saidupright for vertical movement, each of said heads having fixed inner andouter mounting plates, at least one of said heads having a pair oflaterally spaced parallel freely rotatable skein engaging rollers andthe other of said heads having at least one skein engaging rollerparallel to said pair of rollers, said rollers being interposed betweensaid plates.

10. In a skein holder, a frame, spaced heads carried by said frame, atleast one of said heads comprising spaced fixedly mounted plates, aspacing member interposed between said plates, parallel tubularrotatable rollers extending between said plates.

11. In a skein holder, a frame having an upright, vertically spacedupper and lower heads extending outwardly from said frame, at least oneof said heads comprising spaced fixedly mounted plates, a spacing memberfor said plates, and parallel tubular rotatable rollers extendingbetween and supported by said plates.

WILLIAM J. CHAPMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 68,438 Haskell Sept. 3, 18671,417,484 Baker May 30, 1922 1,490,349 Stromberg Apr. 15, 1924.1,663,751 Fathauer Mar. 27, 1928 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 305Great Britain Feb. 2, 1859 277,971 Italy Sept. 26, 1930 544,141 FranceJune 15, 1922

